Anthony Naples, who runs the blog Casting Around, interviewed me for a feature on the website Midcurrent.com. You’re probably tired of hearing my story, but Anthony’s questions are good and could only be asked by someone who’s been following the development of tenkara in the US from the beginning.

On Midcurrent’s email newsletter this morning they announced the interview as follows: “THIS WEEK we look at what may be the fastest growing “style” of fly fishing: tenkara. Anthony Naples interviews Daniel Galhardo, founder of Tenkara USA and someone who could fairly be called the “Ever-Ready Bunny of tenkara.”

By Karen Gautney June 24, 2011 – 9:48 amI am an intermediate-skilled fesihr and enjoy mountain trout fishing, but I only get to a wild trout stream three or four times a year. I always found myself spending as much time fiddling with equipment as hauling in fish, even though the reel never got much action. Tenkara sounded logical, so I picked up the short 11 foot one from Tenkara USA. I’ve used it just once so far, in the Cascades Gorge at The Homestead resort in Hot Springs, VA. It was a natural fit for me. I found it to be surprisingly versatile for casting, dapping, and nymphing. I spent less time in the trees than I thought I would, probably because I was less worried about tangles, getting the knots through the guides, etc., and actually looked around more. I caught so many wild rainbows that I lost count. Landing the fish, which seemed a little awkward when I thought about it, was actually quite intuitive. Each fish, even the little ones, felt great on the line. The lack of stuff you need to carry is also amazing essentially tippet, dry fly treatment, nippers, and forceps. I’m not ready to lay down my rods with reels, but I really like this Tenkara style. I don’t think I’ll ever go on a fishing trip without it. I’ll be tying some Tenkara-style flies to use next time. I encourage fly fesihrs to give it a try, especially if you are interested in having a second rod on trips, want a just in case rod to take hiking or camping, or if you want to fish with minimal gear.